Fluid-brake mechanism.



No. 717,286. Patented necrsu, I902.

W. H. SAUVAGE.

llNiTED STATES ATENT FFlCE.

WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF THREE-TWEN- TIETHSTO FREDERICK B. STEVENSON AND RICHARD MOKNIGHT, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

FLUID-BRAKE MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,286, dated December30, 1902.

Application filed March 29, 1902. Serial No. 100.637. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: the car, as shown at 17. The crank-arm 1OBeitknown that LWlLLIAMI-LSAUVAGE, a is connected by a rod and chain 18and 19 citizen of the United States of America, residwith the sand-board16 at the opposite end of ing at Denver, in the county ofArapahoe andthe car, the chain or flexible part of the con- State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new neotion passing over a pulley 20. G and usefulImprovements in: Fluid Brake The main chamber, inclosed by the casingMechanism; and I do declare the following to 5, is divided by a flexiblediaphragm or parbeafull, clear, and exact description of thein tition 21into two compartments A and B. vention, such as will enableothers'skilled in' This diaphragm rests upon a ledge 5*, formed the artto which'it appertains to make and use on the inner wall of the chamber.Engaging the same, reference-being had to the acoomthe diaphragm abovethis ledge is a loose panying drawings, and to the figures of ref-jwasher 22, and above the washer 22 awasher erence marked thereon, whichform a part of 23 is screwed into the chamber, whose inner thisspecification. wall is threaded for the purpose. Hence the I 5 Myinvention relates to improvements in outer edge of the diaphragm is heldsecurely fluid -brake mechanism, and more particuin place between theledge and the washers, larly to a governor-valve mechanism for use whileits central portion is free to vibrate as in connection therewith,whereby the brakcircumstances may require. Passiugthrough ing force isregulated by and made properly the bottom of the chamber is a stem 24:,to

20 proportionate to the gravity of the car or the whose lower extremityis attached a valve 25. load; and to this end the invention consistsThis stem also passes through an opening in of the features,arrangements, and combinaa partition 26 below the bottom of thechamtions hereinafter described and claimed, all her, there being aspace, forming a duct 27, of whichwill be fully understood byreferbetween the chamber and the partition. Into 25 ence to theaccompanying drawings, in which an opening 28 in the last-namedpartition is is illustrated an embodiment thereof. screwed a bushing 29,forming a seat for the In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective valve.Into the bottom of the chamber, view, partly in section, illustrating myimaround the valve-stem,is screwed a bushing provements. Fig. 2 is anenlarged vertical 30,,which projects upwardly into the com- 0 sectiontaken through the governor valve 'partment B, forming a guide for thestem. mechanism. Fig. 3 is a sectional view in de- Surrounding thestem,within the bushing 30, tail of the checlrvalve in the main valveisa loose packing 31 to prevent the air from stem shown on a larger scale.a passing too rapidly into the compartment B The same referencecharacters indicate the of the chamber. The upper extremity of the 3 5same parts in all the views. valve-stem is reduced and threaded, passingLet the numeral 5 designate the governorthrough an opening for thepurpose in the cenvalve casing,which is interposed between the tral partof the diaphragm. Applied to the triple valve 6 and the auxiliaryreservoir7of upper extremity of the stem below thediaan air-brakesystem, as the Westinghouse. phragmisacap 32,while screwed upon the up-0 Suitably journaled underneath the car is a per extremity of the stemabove the dia- 0 rock-shaft or spindle 8, provided with crankphragm is anut 33. This construction forms arms 9 and 10, projecting above andbelow a fluid-tight joint around the stem where it the same,respectively. Connected with the passes through the diaphragm. Above thearm 9 is a coil-spring 12, whose opposite exnut 33 and engaging the sameare two coil- 5 tremity is secured to a suitable stationary springs 34and 35, one within the other. The 5 support. Connected with the upperextremupper extremity of the chamber above the ity of the crank-arm 9 isa rod 13, to whose compartment A is closed by a head 36, which oppositeend is connected a chain 14, passing is screwed thereinto. This head isprovided over a pulley 15 and connected at its lower with aninteriorly-threaded opening into 50 extremity with a sand-board 16 atone end of which is screwed a bushing 37, whose lower :00

extremity protrudes into the compartment A. This bushing is providedwith a plain or unthreaded opening through which passes a stem 38, whoselower extremity is enlarged 5 and recessed from below to engage theupper greater pressure is required to hold the valve 25 open the lowerextremity of the stem 38 engages both springs, and the valve is heldopen by a correspondin g1 y-increased tension. The lower extremity ofthe bushing 37 protrudes into the chamber and engages from above theshoulder or enlargement formed at the lower extremity of the stem 38.The upper extremity of this bushing is fashioned to receive a wrench, asshown at 37, whereby the bushing may be screwed down against theshoulder of the stem to compress the springs against the diaphragm andhold the valve normally open by any desired pressure. A crank-arm 39 onthe rock-shaft 8 is 25 in position when actuated by the spring 12 tobear against the upper extremity of the stem 38 and hold the valve 25with added force, thus cooperating with the springs 34 and 35, whosetension alone is so regulated that the valve 25 will be closed when thefluid-pressure in the brake-cylinder is just sufficient to give theproper braking force for the car when empty. When the. car is empty, theconnections between the sand-board 16 and 35 the opposite extremities ofthe car and the crank-arms 9 and 10 of the rock-shaft 8 are held tautwith sufficient force to stretch the spring 12 and hold the arm 39 awayfrom the stem 38. When, however, the car is loaded,

40 its body will lower or settle by virtue of its spring-supportsufficiently to slacken said connections and allow the spring 12 torecoil and act on the rock-shaft to cause the arm 39 to bear against thestem 38 and hold the valve 5 25 open until the fluid-pressure in thebrakecylinder is sulficient to give a braking force proportionate to thegravity of the load. Hence the braking force is always automaticallymaintained properly proportionate to the gravity of the load or theweight of the car whether empty or loaded, thus avoiding [iat wheels.

By having a connection between the rockshaft and each end of the carvibration of the rock-shaft is practically prevented. Oars when inmotion are subjected to an endwise rocking movement of greater or lessmagnitude, depending upon the condition of the track and road-bed. Asone end of the car goes down the connection leading thereto willslacken, and if this were the only connection with the rock-shaft thelatter would be subjected to a vibratory movement with the rise and fallof the car extremity; but when by virtue of the construction describedone connection slackens the other will be held taut, since the oppositeend of the car will remain in an elevated position-hence the functionsubserved by the double connection with the rock-shaft.

Attention is called to the fact that in case the load is all placed inone end of the car, so that only that end descends, the rock-shaft willstill be held by the connection extending to the opposite end of thecar. Consequently the rock-shaft arm 39 will fail to act on the stem 38and the tension of the springs 34 and 35 will not be increased. In thisevent the normal tension of these springs when regulated for an emptycar will remain unchanged. Were it not for this fact the wheels locatedunder the empty end of the car might be locked and caused to slide bythe undue braking force resulting from the load. This featurenamely, thetwo connections leading from the rock-shaft to the opposite ends of thecar therefore prevents the sliding of the wheels by reason of the loadbeing placed at one end thereof. In case a bolster breaks under one endof the car the connection leading to the opposite end of the car willstill maintain the rock-shaft in its inactive position and prevent thesetting of the brakes and the sliding of the wheels. Hence it is evidentthat the rock-shaft cannot act to increase the tension of thevalve-opening springs 34 and 35 unless the body of the car movesdownwardly substantially in a horizontal plane, or, in other words,unless both ends of the car are forced downwardly by the load, and incase one end of the car is forced downwardly farther than the other thetension of the springs 34 and 35 will only be increased in proportion tothe downward movement of the more elevated end of the car, thuspreventing an undue application of braking force under allcircumstances.

When the valve 25 is open, if an application of air is made to set thebrakes the fluid passes from the triple valve by way of a duct 40 upthrough the opening 28 and thence through a duct 41 to thebrake-cylinder until the braking force is suflicient for the load. Assoon as this occurs the fluid which has squeezed around the valve-stem,where it passes to the governor-chamber, enters the compartment B and,acting on the diaphragm 21, raises the latter against the springs 34 andICC 35 sufficiently to close the valve 25 and cut off the passage of airto the brake-cylinder. When the brakes are released, the air-pressure inthe chamber 42, below the valve 25, is reduced, and a check-valve 43,located in a stem 44, screwed into the valve-stem 24 from below, opensdownwardly by virtue of the excessive pressure in the compartment B. Thefluid in this event reaches the valve 43 through a passage 45 in thestem 24. Hence the fluid escapes from the compartment B in this manner,allowing the valve 25 to open by virtue of the spring-pressure above thediaphragm 21. As soon as the valve 25 opens the fluid escapes from thebrake-cylinder, releasing the brakes.

The subject-matter covered by claims 1, .2, and 3 of the presentapplication is shown but not broadly claimed in my previous applicationfiled February 8, 1901, Serial No.-46,573.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim isg 1. In brakemechanism, the combination of a valve interposed between the pressuresource and the brake-cylinder, a spring normally holding said valveopen, a stem arranged when actuated, to increase the tension of saidspring, a device arranged to engage said stem, a spring connected withsaid device and having a tendency to cause it to act on the stem andincrease the tension of the spring which holds the valve open, and aflexible connection between the said device and the body of the car, andarranged to be held taut by the car-body when the car is empty, and alsoarranged to slacken and allow the spring connected with the device tocause the latter to actuate its engaging stem, as the spring-supportedcar body descends in response to the weight of the load.

2. In fluid-brake mechanism, the combination of a valve interposedbetween the pressure source and the brake-cylinder, a spring normallyholding said valve open, a stem consaid device and having a tendency tocause it to act on the stem to increase the tension of the spring whichholds the valve open, and a connection between the said device and thespring-supported car-body, whereby the said device is held inactiveagainst the tension of its spring when the car is empty, and allowed toact in response to the spring as the gravity of the load increases.

3. In air-brake mechanism, the combination of a valve interposed betweenthe pressure source and the brake-cylinder, a spring normally holdingsaid valve open, spring-actuated means having a normal tendency toincrease the tension of the valve opening spring, and two connectionsbetween said tension-increasing means, the said connections extending inopposite directions toward the respective ends of the car, guidesmounted on the body of the car and engaged by said connections whichextend downwardly and are attached to stationary supports below therock-shaft and having a tendency to cause the stem-engaging arm to acton the stemto in crease the tension of thespring which holds the valveopen, and a connection between the spring-held arm of the rock-shaft andthe springesupported bodyof the car, whereby the spring-held arm of therock-shaft is held inactive against the tension of its spring when thecar is empty and allowed to act in response to the spring as the gravityof the load increases.

5. In air-brake mechanism, the combination of a valve interposed betweenthe pressure source and the brake-cylinder, a spring normally holdingsaid valve open, a stem connected with said spring, a rock-shaft havingthree arms, a spring connected with one arm and normally holding anotherarm against the stem to increase the tension of the valveopening'spring, and connections extending from the spring-held arm of therock-shaft and one of the other arms, and extending in oppositedirections toward the respective ends of the car, guides mounted on thebody of the car and engaged by said connections which extend downwardlyand are attached to stationary parts below thecar-springs, whereby asthe car rocks and either connection is slackened, the other connectionwill remain taut and obviate'vibration of the tension-increasing means.i

6. In a fluid-pressure brake system, the combination with a chamber, ofa spring pressed flexible diaphragm fast therein,a stem secured to saiddiaphragm and projecting through an opening in the end of the chamber,ducts beneath said cylinder and a valve operated by said diaphragm toclose the pas sage through said ducts when a predetermined quantity offluid squeezes into the chamber between the opening in the end thereofand the stem of the diaphragm.

7. In a fluid-pressure brake system, the combination with a chamberlocated in the passage of the fluid to the brake-cylinder, the chamberhaving an opening in one end of just sufficient size to permit themovement of a stem, a flexible diaphragm fast in said chamber, a sleevesecured to said diaphragm and projecting through an openingin theend ofthe chamber, ducts below the chamber for the passage of fluid to thebrake-cylinder, said ducts communicating with the opening in saidchamber, a valve carried by said diaphragm-stem, and adapted to closethefiuidpassage to the brake-cylinder when the central flexible portionof the diaphragm is raised by the fluid squeezing between the stem ofthe diaphragm and the end of the chamber.

8. In a fluid-brake system, the combination with a chamber closed atboth ends, and provided with a fluid-passage below one end thereof tothebrake-cylinder, a flexible diaphragm fast in said chamber, a stemsecured to the vibrating portionof said diaphragm and projecting throughan opening in one end of the cylinder and practically filling saidopening, and a valve operated by said stem to close the fluid-passagewhen the diaphragm is moved by fluid forcing its way into the cylinderaround the diaphragm-stem.

9. In a fluid-brake system, the combination with a chamber closed atboth ends, havinga spring-pressed diaphragm fast therein, mechanismoperated by the gravity of the car for regulating the tension of saidspring, ducts for the passage of fluid to the brake-cylindercommunicating with one end of said chamber, a stem secured to theflexible portion of said diaphragm and projecting through an opening inthe end of the chamber, and a valve carried by the diaphragm-stem andadapted to close the passage through the ducts When a sufficientquantity of fluid has squeezed into the chamber around thediaphragm-stem and moved the diaphragm.

10. Agovernorforfluid-brakesystems, consisting of a chamber to belocatedin the fluidpassage to the brake-cylinder, and having a spring-pressedflexible diaphragm fast in said chamber, a stem secured to the diaphragmand projecting through an opening in the end of the chamber and into thefluid-passage, and a valve operated by said diaphragm to close thepassage when the pressure is sufficient to force an entrance into thechamber through an opening practically filled by the diaphragm-stem.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE.

Witnesses:

DENA NELSON, A. J. OBRIEN.

